Two Halves of Me
by The Blue Next
Summary: There are two sides to every story. Sora's story is no different. It may seem like Roxas' adventure is over, but Olette may be the key to unlocking his potential. This is his story of the events of KH2. Roxette Pairing.
1. Rebirth

**Hi there everyone! I need your help with something. I'm trying a new concept out with this story, and I want your opinions on it. Basically, throughout the story, I'll be leaving cues in the text as to what music you should have playing in the background as you read. It's not a songfic, the text is not based around the songs; rather the songs are placed into the text to set the mood. It's not hard to do, you'll just need to download limewire (one note on limewire. People are mean. They make viruses and disguise them as a something else so you'll download it. There's one that pops up on just about every search I do. I won't go into details, but let's just say that if it seems like a trap, it probably is.) or some kind of torrent program to get the music, and whenever you see something in asterisks, play the song its saying. It'll be something like this. **

**Text text text**

**begin playing the song (song name here) by (artist name here)**

**At that point you would begin playing that song and read on. It's for effect only, and will not subtract from the plot if you choose not to play along. So read the story, enjoy the music, and then leave me a review telling me what you think about all this. After all, it's an experiment, and I need feedback to tell me if it's effective or not. Thanks!**

**Before I forget, here's a list of the songs you'll need for this chapter.**

**Padmasana, by Buckethead**

**Shine on, by Ryan Cabrera**

**Witches on the Heath, by Buckethead**

**Ghost, by Buckethead**

**Omnishred, by Powerglove**

**And the disclaimer : I'm not writing this for profit, so don't sue me squaresoft. The music, while I didn't write it, doesn't make me money either.**

_Begin playing (Padmasana) by (Buckethead)_

Namine was wrong. She had to be.

Never meant to exist? Only half of Sora?

Lies. Every word of it. Roxas gave a heavy sigh as he pushed through the mansion's front gates. He settled on a nearby stone bench, just outside the mansion's courtyard. Gazing into the night sky, he could clearly see the stars shining, as there were little to no lights on nearby. He thought of his friends, and how real he felt when he was with them.

Hayner…The two blondes had a competitive rivalry for as long as he could remember, but they always had each other's back. Whether it was sticking up for each other in face-offs with Seifer, or just helping each other up after a well-fought struggle battle, they knew they could trust one another.

And Pence was there to capture every moment of it in the camera the other three bought for his 12th birthday. If there were two things you could expect from Pence, it was that he would be carrying a sea-salt ice cream in one hand and his camera in the other, and that he could never say no to going shopping with Olette.

Roxas smiled at the thought. Pence always was a bit of a pushover because of his friendly nature, and Olette definitely took advantage of this. She was the only girl in their group, yet she never fell into girly stereotypes. Thus, she didn't quite fit in with the other girls in twilight town and spent her time with Hayner, Pence, and himself. As much as the other two boys didn't want to admit it, they all owed her a lot.

Whenever Hayner lost a struggle to Seifer, it was Olette and Roxas that hoisted his unconscious body back to his house to rest. Whenever Pence would drop his ice-cream, it was Olette who offered the rest of hers with a smile on her face. And perhaps most of all Roxas owed her. Now that he thought about it, she really held him together. She was the one who patiently guided him through his homework every night. She was the one who covered him when he didn't have enough munny for a train ticket to the beach. She was the one who waited by his bedside until he recovered from his broken arm he got while skating.

A chill wind from the mansion brought him back to reality. He needed to get back home soon, as he had been out for over an hour. Slowly bringing himself to his feet, he strode back towards the forest that led to Twilight Town.

"I'm real. She can't possibly take that away," the young teenager thought. "Whole…" he scoffed, kicking a tree. "What is whole, anyway? I don't want to be whole. All I want is to be me," he said, now thinking aloud. Frustrated, he screamed to no one in particular.

"Damn it Namine, don't take this away from me!"

"What's that, Roxas?" Roxas spun around to see his friend Olette leaning on a tree next to him. Her earthy green eyes were fixed upon him, staring pensively.

"Olette? What are you doing out here this late?"

"I came to check up on you. Pence told me you ran out here all on your own. We've been worried about you; you haven't quite been yourself lately," she said, concern evident in her voice. She got up from her place on the wall and slowly approached him. Placing a hand gingerly on his shoulder, she asked, "Are you feeling okay? Anything you need to talk about?"

She was right. Lately he had been having these weird hallucinations of things that didn't happen; dreams of people he never met, and he was thrown a little out of step by it. But how could he possibly explain all this too her? So much she wouldn't be able to understand; so much HE didn't even understand. Rather than get her caught up in his mess, he lied.

"Thanks, Olette, but I'm fine. I think I just ate a bad hotdog at the struggle yesterday. You never know what's in those things…" he chuckled. But somehow he thought she could tell otherwise.

But all she did was smile gently at him. "I know, right! What have I told you about those things, Roxas?" she scolded, wagging her finger at him. He laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck. Olette moved her hand down from his shoulder to his waist; turning to stand next to him. "Come on, I'll walk you home. It's been a long day with those independent studies."

She knew he was lying, but he would tell her about whatever was bugging him when he was ready. He always did. You can't force stuff like that out of someone. It'll only make it worse.

"Yeah. I'd like that." He smiled back at her. Grateful that she didn't push the subject any further, he placed his hand around her waist as well. And as they traversed through the small clearing of trees back to Twilight Town, the chill wind blew in their direction once more.

_Music cuts_

Namine's words haunted him for the whole walk back to his house, as well as the other man, completely hidden behind his red bandages. Just who was this "Sora" kid anyway? And why was it so important that they meet and become whole? None of this made sense…

"Hey Roxas…" Olette's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"We're all going to the beach tomorrow…or at least Hayner says we are," she giggled. "He says he has some "Master Plan" to get us to the beach easy, but somehow I think we're gonna end up doing odd jobs again." Roxas laughed along with her, the two still arm in arm.

"Yeah...Hayner never was one to plan much past lunch," the blonde joked.

The two youths shared a lighthearted conversation back up to Roxas' house. As they approached his doorstep, he turned to give Olette what he hoped was not his last goodbye, but Olette spoke up first.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" And Roxas could tell she meant it.

_Start playing (Shine on) by (Ryan Cabrera)_

He nodded. "You don't know how much that means to me," he replied, noticing the faintest hint of a blush on Olette's cheeks. She turned to leave, and he thought about what might happen if Namine was right. He'd fade out of existence, and everyone including Olette would forget about him…unless…

"Wait!" he blurted. She halted suddenly, surprised at his sudden shift in volume.

"Hm?" she said, tilting her head inquisitively.

"I need you to do something for me. It's going to look really stupid, and you probably won't understand why you're doing this, but trust me in that it's important. Okay?" he almost pleaded. She nodded her head slowly. "Great, wait here." He dashed into his house, being as quiet as possible so as not to wake his parents, and returned promptly with a photo in his right hand, and a pen in his left.

The photo was of the two of them at the usual spot; Roxas sitting cross legged on the floor and Olette standing above him, resting both her elbows on his shoulders and her chin atop his head. Roxas had a disgruntled look on his face, while Olette had a mischievous grin. She smiled at seeing the photo.

"I remember that! That was the day we all went back to school last year, and your mom made you take all sorts of photos with us."

"Don't remind me! She's such a picture geek…made us do every possible person combination," he groaned, pushing her lightly. "I like this one though. You look really happy in it." There was a brief silence, and Roxas spoke again. "What I need you to do, is to write something on the back of it for me," he said, handing her the pen.

After thinking for a moment, he recited, "His name is Roxas, and he'll never forget you. Don't let him slip away from you." She gave him a strange look for a second.

"Very well," she mused, copying his exact words to the paper. "That everything?" she asked.

"One more. No, put the pen down, you don't need to write this. Promise me two things. First, that you won't ever let go of that picture, and second, that we'll never forget each other, even as we grow up."

"It's a promise," she said sincerely, nodding quickly.

He pulled her into a quick hug, and turned back to his house. She never noticed the single tear that fell down his face.

"Meet us at the usual spot at 10:00 sharp tomorrow!" she chirped.

Yeah. By then she won't even know who I am. He sighed inwardly, closing the door to his house. He just hoped that, bound to the world by the writing of someone real, the photo wouldn't disappear with him.

_Music cuts_

_Start playing (Witches on the Heath) by (Buckethead)_

That night he dreamt of Sora again.

_He was fighting a man with dark blue and black skin tight clothes, with a red emblem on the chest. The two were exhausted, obviously having been going at it for at least half an hour._

"_Give it up, kid! Your heart isn't strong enough to win this fight! Give the princess back her heart!"_

"_I'll never give up! Not when Kairi's heart is on the line! There's no way you're ta-…"_

_Now they were in some kind of castle, talking to a Man dressed in black leather with long brown hair, and another girl next to him, who resembled a ninja. The man in brown spoke._

"_Though we may never meet again…we'll never forget each other."_

_The scenery shifted again. Now they were at a coliseum, a man with spiky blonde hair, a tattered red cape and an enormous sword passed them._

"_I've been searching too," Sora said to him._

_The man turned to face him. "For your light?"_

_Sora nodded._

"_Don't lose sight of it," he muttered, before handing him something and walking towards the exit._

_Scenery shift. He was surrounded by darkness, on a narrow path leading to a large, ornate door. Sora ran across the path, to find another youth, slightly older but with silver hair behind the door._

_As they closed the door, the older boy whispered to Sora…_

"_Take care of her."_

_Music cuts_

Roxas awoke with a start. Glancing at his alarm clock, he saw the time to be 8:45. "Know what Namine? I'm not buying it." He quickly got dressed and arrived at the usual spot with time to spare. Passing through the curtain, he saw his three friends laughing about something. He smirked. Namine could bite him, and Sora could wait. For now, he had a beach to go to, and no one was going to take that from him.

_Begin playing (Ghost) by (Buckethead)_

"Man guys, I had the weirdest dream last night…" he yawned, approaching the group. But they did not hear him. "Guys?...Hayner…" he said, reaching an arm out to grab his friends shoulder.

"No…" Roxas gasped. His hand phased straight through his best friend, as if he wasn't even there! He couldn't believe it. Namine was right. And he hated her so much for this.

Suddenly, the three stood up from their respective seats and raced out the door. Olette froze though, turning to face his direction. Could she see him?

"Olette?" Roxas whimpered.

No response, she just stood there.

"Hey Olette! Get the lead out will ya? Train leaves in ten minutes!" Hayner called from outside.

"I'm coming! I just thought I…never mind." Olette took one final glance his way, and ran out the door to her friends.

He chased after her, but to no avail. They were out of sight. He collapsed to the ground, unable to believe what just happened.

" But you knew it was coming, didn't you, Roxas?"

Roxas wheeled around to see a man garbed in a black robe, carrying a pair of chakram. He had fiery red hair, and gave a sympathetic smile to Roxas.

"I'd like to offer you a way out of all this. Just come back with me, and I'll explain everything."

"So someone CAN see me then? Look, I'm sorry but you sort of caught me in a bad mood. I'd rather just be left alone for now," Roxas retorted.

The man was unshaken by his comment. "Man, the guys upstairs weren't kidding. Blank with a capitol 'B'. Look, you're coming back with me, conscious or not."

"_You two were best friends…"_ Namine's voice echoed in his mind.

"Wait…but…we're friends, right?" Roxas stuttered.

"Yeah, well I'm not getting turned into a dusk for – wait, you remember then!?" Childish optimism evident in his voice.

"Y-yeah…"

"Great! Well…gotta be safe and all so uh…what's our boss's name?" he asked, still fully optimistic.

Roxas hadn't expected this. He just stood there dumbly, trying to think of the name. And the longer he waited, the more Axel's good mood diminished. Axel sighed. "Then you really don't remember, do you?" Roxas said nothing. And without a second's warning, Axel raised his chakram and poised to strike, but froze in mid swing.

Roxas flinched behind his left arm, but when nothing came, he lowered it, peeking through his eyelids as if he might regain his motion at any moment.

Another voice spoke to him, though he couldn't see the body it came from.

"Roxas! Do not listen to this man's trickery. Come to the mansion at once."

Alone and confused, he had no other choice but to obey the voice. He made it to the mansion as fast as he could, and entered the front gates. He sighed, and climbed the stairs to his left, entering a white room filled with drawings. They all seemed vaguely familiar…

Then there was a high pitched screech that split the air around him. He instantly developed a migraine and, unable to take the pain, passed out. Memories started flowing back to him…

From the time Sora was turned into a heartless, causing his birth, to his first meeting with Axel, to his adventures in organization XIII, to being knocked out by Riku and placed in a digital Twilight Town. All of it came back to him in such a rush he could hardly make any of it out. But when he awoke, he had the full memories of his past life recovered. And boy was he pissed.

When he found the computer room, he smashed it to bits in a blind rage. How could he be used like that? WHO did DiZ think he was?

Passing through the next door, he was once again face to face with Axel.

_Music cuts off_

_Begin playing (Omnishred) by (Powerglove)_

"Axel?" Roxas blurted, taken aback by his sudden appearance. "Look man, I'm sorry. I remember now. Take me back to the organization."

"Oh, so you really DO remember me now? I'm so FLATTERED!" he shouted, obviously not happy with their previous conversation.

Feeling in danger, he called the two keyblades to him. In his right hand, he held the bright oathkeeper, and in his left, the dark and powerful oblivion.

**(A/N: The following scene should be imagined in extreme fast motion. The two will be moving almost too fast for the eye to catch.)**

Axel was always the one to make the first strike. Slamming his chakram into the ground and mustering his control over fire, he summoned a wall of flame around them, and enveloped the floor in hot lava. Roxas would have to do something about that.

He dashed at Axel, Oathkeeper poised to strike but Axel covered, and jumped back. The two met in a series of aerial clashes, each one releasing a shockwave into the air, until Roxas saw his opening. He jumped above Axel and kicked him into the ground, landing on him with both keyblades that cleared the lava from the ground.

Roxas jumped back and allowed Axel to stagger to his feet. "Not bad, Roxas…" he muttered, before throwing both his chakram at him in a fiery blaze. Roxas was able to deflect the first, but wasn't expecting the second and took that one straight to the chest. Knocked back, Axel hid in the wall of flames. When Roxas regained his senses, Axel was nowhere to be seen.

Not skipping a beat, Axel leaped out of the wall and slashed him in the back, before returning to his fiery shroud. He repeated this pattern several times at breakneck speed before Roxas caught him in the corner of his eye. He hurled the Oblivion at him and dashed to meet it. The Oblivion hit it's mark, and 

Roxas got several hits with the Oathkeeper before Axel fell to the ground. The wall of flames dissipated, and Axel rose to his knees.

_Music fades_

"Just like old times, huh?" he grinned, though his wounds contradicted his tone.

"Yeah. I suppose do." He replied, returning his grin.

"Well, sorry champ, but I'm really in no condition to take you back to the Organization. And judging from how you looked at that girl, I don't think it's what you really want."

Roxas blushed slightly at the latter statement. "Yeah, you're right. Sometime in the next life, I'd like to take you to the real Twilight Town. There's a few people I'd like you to meet."

Axel stopped him there. "Silly…just because you have a next life…" he said, opening up a dark portal. "And don't worry bucko; your actions here weren't _completely_ wasted. Echoes of their digital selves' memories will reflect in the real versions…as well as certain items they may have come in contact with." Flashing a toothy grin, Axel disappeared into the dark void.

Roxas shook his head. Axel had to have been talking about Olette. Hopefully Sora could make her happy for him. He could feel his presence in the next room.

"Well…" he sighed, "looks like my summer vacation is…" he stopped in front of the flowering pod that held Sora's body.

"Over."

**So what did you all think? The music and the text lined up pretty well? Did it make it hard to concentrate on the text? Are you upset that I had to go all canon and shit and make Roxas and Sora merge?**

**Well don't worry, the story's not over yet. And that's as far as I'll go on THAT subject. But I will say that I wasn't lying when I advertised this as a Roxas/Olette. **


	2. Lies and Memories

**Hey everyone! My apologies for the delay. Every time I sat down to write a friend would call me and want me to do something with them, effectively slowing my progress to a complete halt. I really appreciate everyone's reviews, I didn't think the music thing would go over this well. Keep the feedback coming!**

**Music you'll need...**

**Hills of eternity by Buckethead**

**Nowhere man by The Beatles**

**I will remember you by Ryan Cabrera**

**Holy Orders by Powerglove**

**On the way down by Ryan Cabrera**

_Begin playing (Hills of eternity) by (Buckethead)._

Olette awoke to dead silence. Nothing new, she was a morning person and always seemed to rise from bed an hour or two before the rest of her house. After rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she rolled over and glanced at the alarm clock on the small wooden nightstand next to her bed.

9:18.

Sighing, she kicked the quilt off her and sat up, stretching her arms behind her and yawning loudly. She eagerly rose to her feet and made her way to the washroom to take a quick shower. Olette could never stand being dirty for any longer than was absolutely necessary, and she could still feel the salt in her hair from the gang's beach trip yesterday.

She removed her articles and stepped into the shower. The water was soothing to the touch, cleansing her skin of the salt that the beach was so clouded with. There was no getting it out of her hair though; shampoo could only remove so much. Time would have to take care of the rest.

After she finished dressing, she tied her hair up into the two signature pigtails that adorned her face since her 8th birthday. She glanced out the window in the room opposite her; sunlight spilled through filling up the room. Morning already, but she knew her two friends would likely still be sleeping. They probably stayed up all last night playing video games at Pence's house. Rather than sit around waiting for her friends to wake up, Olette opted to take a walk around town. It was a beautiful day, after all.

She went downstairs, gave a quick goodbye to her mom, and pushed through the front door. The air outside welcomed her, it was brisk and clean. She inhaled deeply, allowing the air to refresh her mind and energize her body. With no particular destination in mind, she started walking. On days like this her feet seemed to have minds of their own, taking her this way and that, changing direction every time the wind would.

She soon found herself at the tram common, a market area bustling with activity and thriving with life. She took a seat on a nearby wooden bench with an intricate design of iron as the back rest. Her ivy-green eyes gazed into the sky. For once, it was actually blue, and not the splash of reds and oranges it usually contained early in the afternoon. Perfect weather for a lazy Sunday morning.

Her gaze returned to the marketplace as she leaned back in the bench to enjoy the view. She loved to people watch; observing the interactions between other people and the lives they lived fascinated her. It taught her a lot about human nature; how people behave when they think no one's watching; how they acted when they're trying to impress someone.

In the distance, a small child was tugging her mother's skirt, begging her to buy a necklace that caught her eye. Olette couldn't help but giggle as the mother eventually gave in, and handed the vendor a few munny diamonds from her purse. The child held her new necklace in front of her and examined the sapphire in the middle, 'ooh'ing and 'aah'ing as it sparkled in the sunlight.

The scene seemed oddly familiar to Olette, as if she had seen this all somewhere before… As though she and someone she knew had once stood in that exact position, watching their gems scatter the sunlight and dance to nature's rhythm. But that couldn't be, right? The only people she ever hung out with were Hayner, Pence, and…

Wait, what? Why did she suddenly remember there being **four** in her group? Now things were getting weird…it was always just the three of them, right? For as long as she could remember they were always together, but now a phantom image of a third boy haunted her memories… A boy she never met, yet felt strangely close to her. She couldn't quite make out his face, but he had short, spiky blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and wore an off-white set of clothes laced with pockets and chains on every side.

Her daydreams were cut short.

"I thought you might be here," a voice behind her said. Olette looked up, startled, to see Hayner smiling down at her, mischief in his eyes as always. "What is it with girls and _always _being at Market Street, anyway?" She heard pence start giggling behind him, and couldn't help but laugh along with the two of her friends. It's true; she was down here a lot after all.

"I woke up early and decided to take a walk, rather than waste the day away waiting for the two of you to wake up," she responded, swinging her feet below the bench.

"Well, we're up now, so instead of wasting the day away sitting _here_, let's head back to the usual spot."

Olette nodded and reached out to let Hayner help her up, and the trio made their way back to their hangout. But the thought of that third boy never left her mind.

* * *

_Music cuts_

_Begin playing (Nowhere man) by (The Beatles)_

"What's wrong, Axel? You've been totally out of it all day." A boy with unruly blonde hair looked up from his sitar, speaking to the man next to him that leant over a ledge, overlooking the surrounding city.

"You know what's wrong," Axel retorted.

"Now now, no reason to get testy at me…" Demyx responded softly. After thinking and playing for a few moments, he spoke again. "You know there's a way for you to bring Roxas back."

Axel perked up instantly. "Really? How!?"

"All you have to do is separate him from Sora and…"

Axel cut him off. "Turn Sora into a heartless? If Xemnas ever found out I was behind that he'd…"

This time Demyx interrupted him. "I didn't say anything about turning Sora into a hearless, did I?" The two stood in silence for a few seconds. "I said you have to separate the two of them. Look, all nobodies want to be whole, right?" Axel nodded. "Then make him whole. Somehow, I don't think that even merging with Sora was enough to make him whole in his mind. He never seemed like the kind of kid that would settle for being half of someone else."

Axel laughed. "You know Demyx, that actually made sense. I think I have an idea…" And with a flick of his wrist, he conjured a dark portal and exited through it, leaving Demyx to shake his head and wonder.

Dawn was just peeking over the horizon when Axel emerged in Twilight Town. He took a minute to take in the sights.

"Man, if I had memories, I'm sure this place would bring them back…" Axel muttered, laughing slightly under his breath. He navigated through the town, finally ending up at an old house halfway up the Market Street. Without so much as a knock on the door, he phased right through into the house. Luckily, the inhabitants were still sleeping. He climbed the stairs, and walked into a bedroom, where a girl with light brown hair, and dark green eyes was fast asleep.

He pulled out a small photograph from his pocket, looked at it for a second, and then back to the girl. "Yep, this is the place," he thought to himself. "Now, let's put this somewhere a little more noticeable, shall we?" He placed the picture next to the alarm clock on the girl's nightstand. Then, he took a closer look at the girl. She slept on her side, slightly curled, one arm draped over the side of the bed. He would have thought she was cute, had he had a heart.

Knowing the girl couldn't hear him, he began to speak to her in her sleep.

"I can definitely see why he likes you. If there were ever a girl to put so much trust into, it's you."

She shivered at a breeze from a nearby window. Noticing this, Axel pulled the covers up over her shoulders for her. She almost instantly calmed back down. Opening the dark portal once more, he whispered, "I sure hope you're right about this, Roxas."

_Music cuts_

* * *

"Man, this is such a bummer," Hayner droned, standing up to pace in front of his seat. "What are we doing just sitting here?"

No one responded. "Ugh! You two are hopeless!" he shouted, throwing his arms up and falling back into his seat. "C'mon! This is the last day of summer, we can't just let it go by like this!"

_Begin playing (I will remember you) by (Ryan Cabrera)_

Olette sighed, and was about to say something, when a boy opened up their curtain and walked right in. He was followed by a duck carrying a strange staff, and a dog that held a round, metal shield.

The boy certainly wasn't from around here; that much was certain. His hairstyle was unlike any she had ever seen before; it stuck out in all directions, yet appeared soft to the touch. He wore strange red clothing that almost looked too small for him; chains and necklaces hanging from his neck and pants. He looked around, as curious as a child; for a moment Olette thought he was lost. Hayner however wasn't quite as polite as she would have been.

"Whaddya want?" he asked rudely, his irritation from their previous conversation showing.

The other boy snapped back to reality. "Nothin', just seeing what was back here," he replied, waving his hands to show that he wanted no trouble.

"Well, now you know. This is our spot. So leave."

But Olette, never one to be cold to guests, stopped him.

"Oh, don't mind him. He's just cranky because he has to go to school tomorrow," she joked, standing to meet him. Hayner scoffed, refusing to look at either of them. Pence rose from his spot to meet the new kid as well. "I don't think I've ever seen you around here before. What's your name?" she asked cheerfully.

He smiled, grateful that someone here knew some manners, and told her. "I'm Sora. This is Donald…" he continued, motioning towards the uninterested duck behind him.

"Name's Goofy," the dog to his right said heartily, offering a handshake to Olette. She giggled and accepted it.

"What about you guys?" Sora asked.

"Well, I'm Olette, this is Pence, and the bundle of sunshine you already met is Hayner. Nice to meet you."

"Wait, you said your name's Sora, right?" Hayner asked, turning to face the group.

"Yeah."

"There was some guy here looking for you earlier. He had a dark hood on, so I couldn't see his face. Kinda short…"

"And he had these big, round ears!" Pence added excitedly.

Sora and his companions looked towards each other, and exclaimed in unison, "That's the king!" He then turned to Olette and asked "Did he say which way he was going?"

"Yeah. He told us he'd be at the train station."

"Great, thanks!" he shouted, immediately dashing back through the doorway and up to the station summit.

"Well, he seemed nice," Olette commented, watching the curtain flow in the breeze.

"Yeah, we should go see him off. I was sort of a jerk to him back then…" Hayner responded.

When the group arrived at the station, Sora was already at the ticket booth buying tickets. And was that…her munny bag in his hand? It couldn't be, her bag was still in her pocket where she always kept it. Still, the resemblance was remarkable to say the least. Her grandmother made that bag years ago, and the design on his was identical.

Sora noticed them coming. "What are you three doing here?"

"We came to see you off," Pence answered.

"Yeah, it seemed like the right thing to do," Hayner added.

"Gee guys…thanks…" Sora seemed really touched about this. They walked him to the train, and just before he was about to enter, Olette called out to him. "Don't be a stranger now!" She hadn't even meant to say it, it just sort of came out. He halted and turned back around.

"Don't worry! I'll come back to visit, I promise!" Though his tone contradicted his words. He almost seemed…depressed that he had to leave.

And then a single tear rolled down his cheek, so fast he almost didn't notice it at all. For a split second, he changed, right before her eyes. His hair became brighter, and his clothes turned white. But the tear remained on his cheek. And just as fast as it had happened, the change disappeared, and no one else was aware it happened.

Everyone was shocked at his sudden outburst.

"Get it together, man!" Hayner laughed. Sora laughed a little too, and entered the train before he would have another chance to stop himself.

As they watched the train disappear into the sunset, Olette spoke to no one in particular. "You know…I can't help but feel like we've met him before…"

_Music Fades_

* * *

_Begin playing (Holy Orders) by (Powerglove)_

Axel strode down the alleys of the world that never was, a satisfied expression on his face. Roxas' plan would work, just like they always did, and he would be reunited with his best friend once more. He was too happy to care that he didn't have emotions. He stopped at a corner, seeing two of his superiors talking in the distance. Hearing the nature of their conversation, he dropped his emotions and instantly became serious.

"Is everything going according to plan, Saix?"

"Yes. The key bearer has merged with number 13, and is collecting more hearts as we speak. Very soon we will have enough hearts to power the dark pulse, and without number 13 to stop it, nothing can stand in our way."

"What? Dark pulse? I thought they were collecting hearts to look for their own and become whole," Axel thought.

"Excellent. When all worlds are flooded with darkness, it will be fit for takeover. Make sure things continue to run smoothly."

"Yes, my liege."

So that was it! They aren't planning to use kingdom hearts to become whole. They want complete and utter takeover! The organization was a lie then. That's not good…if they flood all worlds with darkness, then that girl will be destroyed…and that means that Roxas…no. Best not to think about that. I've got to stop them, and the only way to do that is to get Roxas back and help the key bearer.

Time to speed things up then.

_Music fades_

* * *

_Begin playing (On the way down) by (Ryan Cabrera)_

Olette's house seemed to get darker at night than her friends' houses. The darkness was thick; sometimes she thought she could see shapes in corners and by other objects, but they always disappeared when she came close. It never scared her. She hadn't been scared of the dark for years, but it certainly made it hard for her to climb the stairs to her room, to say the least.

Her room was the one place the darkness couldn't seem to penetrate. Moonlight spilled through her window almost as brightly as the sunlight had hours ago, giving the room a bluish tint. She went to set her alarm for the morning, but stopped, seeing a small photograph next to it.

"Funny, I don't remember putting a picture there…" Olette thought out loud.

She picked it up for a closer look and almost dropped it when she saw who was in it. It was her and the third boy! He was real!

"Do you remember his name?"

She whirled around, frightened to see another person in her room, garbed in a dark black robe that covered his entire body. This time, it wasn't the shadows playing tricks on her.

"Read the back," the voice commanded.

Doing as she was told, she flipped the picture over and read aloud. "His name is Roxas, and he'll never forget you. Don't let him slip away from you." Immediately after finishing her sentence, her head started buzzing and throbbing worse than she could ever remember. Her hands instinctively shot up to hold her head, but it hardly helped.

"What…what did you…" she could barely speak.

"Calm down. What you're experiencing is the forceful recovery of memories long lost. In a few moments you will remember everything."

And just as he said, memories came shooting back to her like bullets, each one shaking her body as it entered her mind. She remembered everything, from kindergarten to high school, them growing up together and finally him disappearing.

The throbbing in her head slowed to a stop, and the buzzing ceased to a faint, barely audible ringing. The cloaked figure offered a hand to help her up.

"Thanks…" she mumbled, allowing him to lift her to her feet.

"You loved him, didn't you?"

She was taken aback by the question. "W-what?" she stammered.

"I said, you loved him, didn't you?" the figure repeated, his tone not shifting at all.

She merely stood in silence.

"It's ok, you don't have to tell ME. But you should tell him. He needs your help right now."

"My help? What can I do?" she asked, interested now.

"Let me explain something to you. Roxas disappeared because he didn't have a heart. And the only way to bring him back is for him to find a heart. Following me?" Olette nodded. "Good. I think you know what to do then."

And with that said, the figure disappeared in a puff of black smoke.

"Find a heart…" Olette whispered. "I think I can help with that."

* * *

Darkness. It's all I can remember now. Is this what nonexistence is? Floating in darkness for all eternity? Forgetting everything you held dear? I can't even remember my name anymore.

Wait, what's that? In the distance…is that…

It is! A light! I can almost reach it. Just a little closer…

I can see…a heart…

Olette.

_Music fades_

**Sorry for the repeats of artists with the music. I like using instrumental music and buckethead's the best I've heard so far, so I use his work a lot. It clashes less with the words and makes it easier to concentrate. The ones with words just seemed to fit better than any of the other ones in those parts.**

**Also, I bet most of you thought the time on Olette's alarm was picked randomly. Well, do me a favor and look up that psalm.**

**SilverClock : Thanks! I felt the same way about Axel, especially considering how hard he was in CoM. When I fought him in KH2, I was like "What?..."**

**Midnight Hikari : Maybe not as soon as you hoped but here it is.**

**CheyChey41 : That's the effect I was hoping for with the music. I would have felt pretty stupid if someone had done this already.**


	3. A breif interlude

**Everyone, allow me to apologize for the extended wait. Lately, I haven't had much time to write for reasons that aren't really secret, but just aren't interesting enough for me to warrant telling. Hopefully I'll have time to start writing on the weekends again now though.**

**And here's the list of songs you'll need.**

**Running from the light by Buckethead  
Lone sal bug by Buckethead  
Big sur moon by Buckethead  
Such great heights by The Postal Service  
Float on by Modest Mouse**

_(Begin playing Running from the Light by Buckethead)_

_I can almost reach the light…almost…there._

_Exhausted, I allowed my body to go limp and float in the boundless void that was nonexistence. I could feel myself slowly descending, for what seemed like forever, before I finally connected with the solid ground below me. _

_Then, a grand light appeared before me, a light that shone so bright that I should have to shield my eyes to keep from going blind. The light subsided slightly, and I could make out a slim silhouette at its core. It reached out an arm to me, as if inviting me to take its hand, and follow it into the light._

_So I ran. I ran towards the light as fast as I could, Lord I've never wanted anything as bad as I wanted to be where that figure was. But the harder I tried, the farther the figure seemed to drift. I was in an uphill battle, forever cursed to heave the boulder up to the peak, only to lose my footing at the very top and fall all the way back to the bottom. Before long, my legs failed me and I tumbled face first to the ground, skidding to a complete halt. _

_I thought it was the end. I thought it was all over; my one chance at life came and lost. I pounded at the ground below me in dismay, but something stopped my arm, with a warm yet firm touch. Slowly, tentatively, as a small kitten might do when peering around a corner, I looked up to face the body before me. _

_What a shock to find that I was now within arm's reach of the brilliant light and the mysterious silhouette! I was unable to determine any major features, but the figure grasping my wrist was distinctly feminine. She tilted her head slightly, and after lacing her fingers with my own, hoisted me to my feet. She sounded far off when she spoke; I could hear the echo of every word that exited her mouth._

_"Can you see it, Roxas? That door before you, in the center of the light?" _

_I searched the light, and could barely make out a lone door in the center, light pouring from the seams into the void around us._

"_Yeah," I said with a slight nod._

"_Great!" she chirped, clasping her hands together in front of her chest, "then it really did work! Beyond that door is the world you left behind. I can't guarantee you exactly what will happen when you step through, but I promise you this. You will be your own person, no longer dependant on the key bearer to carry an identity for you. You will be free to do as you choose. But be careful, I can sense a great ordeal ahead of you on the other side."_

"_An ordeal? What do you mean?"_

"_I am not permitted to tell you," she answered, apology evident in her voice. _

_"I figured as much. Even still, it's no choice really. Anything beats wandering this place for all eternity," I said with a sheepish smile. And I couldn't tell for sure, but I think she smiled back at me._

_"Hurry, Roxas!" she said, pushing me towards the door. "The realm of light is just ahead. Good luck."_

_Stopping just before the door, I turned my head back towards the girl._

_"Thanks…Olette," I called, before passing through the gate to a rebirth._

**_(Music fades out)_**

**_

* * *

_**

**Begin playing (lone sal bug) by (Buckethead)**

Immediately after closing the door behind him, Roxas witnessed a whirlwind of colors and shapes orbiting him, slowly coming together to build the world from the ground up. Trees and grass sprouted around him, craters and canyons welled into oceans of life, the sky poured out shades of orange and red. Was he being born into the world? Or was the world being born around him? Before he had a chance to answer his own question, he felt his body collide with the Earth.

And then he heard footsteps.

"Hey! You OK? I heard something hit the ground. Did you fall?"

Roxas groaned slightly, and lifted his head from the grass below him. Before him stood a girl, her earthy brown hair surrounded by the glow of the setting sun behind her. She stretched an arm out to help him to his feet, and gasping, almost dropped him back down when she saw his face.

He was the boy from her dreams. From the memories of a life she never lived.

"Roxas?" she squeaked, barely audible through the hands that covered her mouth.

"The one and only," he replied, flipping his hair back with a carefree hand.

"Then it really worked! Oh, I knew it would, Roxas," she exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck and resting her head on his chest. And as the sun dropped below the horizon of sunset hill, time slowed to a halt, and she could hear in his chest…

The rhythmic beating of a heart.

**(Music fades)**

**

* * *

**

**Begin playing (Big Sur Moon) by (Buckethead)**

"You felt that too, right Demyx?" Axel asked his blonde friend.

"Yeah. Roxas is back, isn't he?" He replied without batting an eyelash. "I've gotta hand it to him, that idea of sealing the reality of the photo of him and that girl was genius." He glanced up from his sitar to Axel. "You certainly helped push things along too, I might add."

"I owed it to him. He is my best friend after all. Besides, we need him now more than ever." Axel said grimly.

"Mmm. How long do you think we have till they find out we're on to them?" Demyx pondered.

"If we play our cards right, they won't find out at all. We've gotta downplay this, make it seem like nothing is out of the norm. Speaking of which, I should go tell him everything now before he does something stupid."

"Don't be so hasty, Axel," Demyx coaxed. "Let him have a day or two. After all, it's not every day a nobody becomes whole. If you tear him from his girl now he's likely to blow his top; you know that."

Axel paused. "Yeah, you're probably right," he muttered, taking a seat next to Demyx. "You know, he's lucky he has a girl that loves him like that; that's willing to share her heart with him and make him whole."

Demyx laughed. "Is that a twinge of jealousy I hear, Axel?"

"…Shut up."

* * *

"Number 13 is among the living again, Xemnas. I'm worried."

"Don't be. He was a pawn, and his return means nothing more than that he was not content with being a pawn."

"Still, I feel like I should keep an eye on him. Just to be safe."

"You're paranoid. But, if it will calm your nerves, by all means observe him. We may have further use for him in the future."

With a bow, Saix conjured a dark portal and disappeared.

Xemnas stood in silence for a few moments. "What are you planning, Roxas?" he muttered.

**(Music fades)**

**

* * *

**

**Begin playing (Such great heights) by The Postal Service)**

"Having a heart certainly heightens the senses," Roxas thought to himself. Never before had colors seemed so vivid, had wind felt so cool on his cheek, had Olette's voice resonated so clearly in his ear. It was a rebirth and a revival, the end of what was and the beginning of what is.

Sitting with Olette at the usual spot, he felt slightly out of place. Hayner and Pence just met him for the first time, and yet he knew them all his life. But, given time, his life would return to normalcy, and this time he would have a shot at a REAL life.

Unfortunately for Roxas, time is something he has very little of, and normalcy never lasts forever.

"Well guys, it's getting late. I'm gonna jet. Pence, Olette, I'll catch you tomorrow. You too, new guy," Hayner said, waving to them as he exited the room.

Pence was soon to follow. "Yeah, my parents want me home early tonight. It was nice meeting you, Roxas," he said cheerfully, before following Hayner out.

Roxas and Olette sat in silence for a few minutes. It wasn't an awkward silence, the two of them simply wanted to enjoy each other's presence after such a long separation. Both of them had so much to say to each other, but now was not the time or the place. So they let the silence linger between them like an old memory, wanting to move forward but not quite ready to let go.

Finally, Olette asked him "Roxas, where are you going to stay now?" Her voice was calm and soft, not shattering the silence, but rather sliding between silences.

Roxas thought for a moment. "I don't know. I suppose I don't really have parents to stay with anymore. Suppose I'll have to sleep under a bench at the tram common," he mused.

"Not happening, mister," she scolded, wagging her finger at him. "You're staying with me. I won't have you getting sick on your first day back."

He chuckled a bit. "Guess there's no arguing with you, is there?"

She shook her head enthusiastically.

"Fine. But how are you going to explain it to your parents?"

"They won't mind. I'll just explain that you're from out of town and need a place to crash for a while."

They both paused for a while. Roxas got to his feet. "Shall we?" he grinned. Olette took his hand, and stood beside him, and with a sweeping, ceremonious gesture, Roxas opened the door to Twilight town.

Night fell swiftly around them, as it has a habit of doing when one is alone in the usual spot. As they walked, Roxas asked "At some point I'll have to tell you everything that happened."

"You can when you're ready, if you want. I'm actually enjoying meeting you for the first time again," she responded with a smile.

"Good. Because I'd rather start over as well." He pulled her close to him. "I want to see the REAL Twilight Town…" his voice trailed off. "The real _you_."

She smiled again, her eyes reflecting the stars and the city around her. He smiled back, closed his eyes, and this time pulled her face to his, completing his transformation from abstraction to tangibility.

And Twilight Town slept, changing, watching, as the cords binding potentialities were severed and previous limits became no more.

**(Allow song to finish)**

**

* * *

**

**Begin playing (Float on) by (Modest Mouse)**

"I want some fresh air," Olette whined. "We always spend all day cooped up in this place. We should go to the market!"

"I'm tired," Hayner responded unenthusiastically.

"Come on. Look, you've already lost your tan," she laughed, poking at Hayner's ribs. "We could all use a little outdoor time. What do you think, Roxas?" All heads turned to him, waiting his tiebreaking vote.

"Why not? It'll be a good time for me to take a look around town."

Hayner groaned, and Olette stuck her tongue out at him.

When they got to the market square, Olette immediately dashed to the stores, dragging Pence behind her. She skipped around like a butterfly, never spending more than twenty seconds at one stall.

Roxas stepped back and took a seat on a nearby bench, observing the town. It was a lot like he remembered it, only he seemed closer and more in sync with everything. For the first time, he felt like he really belonged there.

And then everything froze. A pillar of darkness rose from the ground in front of him, and Axel emerged from it.

"So you survived then? I'm happy to see it," Roxas said apprehensively.

"I could say the same for you. I was going on a gamble, but it looks like it paid off this time," he responded. His friendly tone got Roxas to loosen up a bit.

"So what are you here for? And why did you have to freeze time again?"

"I need your help with something."

"What's that?"

"Oh, nothing too big. Just it turns out that Organization XIII is run by a psychopath bent on universal destruction is all."

"Well, I've known THAT…" Roxas said sardonically.

"I'm being serious. They've got some machine called the dark pulse that's going to flood every world with darkness. They don't want the hearts to regain their lives, they want it for a total takeover! So I want you to help me run a coup against Xemnas."

"What makes you think I can help?"

"You're linked very closely with the key bearer. Now that you are your own person however, you have the freedom to act on your own will. And that's the key to overtaking Xemnas."

"This is big, Axel. We can't just run in there and try to take the Organization over, we'll get ourselves killed."

"I know WE can't, but the key bearer can. All it'll take is a little prodding, if you catch my drift." Noting Roxas' indecision, he added "Plus, it's the only way to make sure she stays safe," motioning towards Olette.

"You've got a point there. All right, what can I do?"

"For now, I want you to be a distraction. Mess with them, make them think you've gone renegade. In other words, draw attention from me while I focus the key bearer's attention on them."

"I think I can do that," Roxas agreed, nodding his head. "But where do I start?"

"I'll tell you later. For now, just enjoy your day. And be sure to give Olette my best regards," Axel replied with a big grin.

Axel stepped back into his portal and vanished with a flick of his wrist, as the flow of time sped back up to normal.

And Twilight Town was none the wiser to the grand scheme that was about to unfold.


	4. A World Worth Saving

**All right everyone, let me be the first to apologize for somewhat abandoning this story. You'd be surprised how hard it is to get motivated to write fanfiction when senior year and college apps and such all start crowding your time (Got into rice, if anyone was interested =D). But I'm going to be doing my best to finish this out. Thank you everyone that reviewed for me, please keep them coming, and enjoy the 4th chapter of Two Halves of Me!**

**Here's the music you'll need. You'll see my music choices haven't changed much ^_^**

**Shadows between the sky by Buckethead**  
**Chaos of the Unconscious by Buckethead**  
**Inferno by Buckethead**  
**Sea Wall by Buckethead**  
**Search for "Piano Music" on Youtube, you'll need the first result. Should be called "Relaxing music (Instrumental piano)"**

**Begin playing (Shadows between the sky) by (Buckethead)**

Saix observed from atop the clock tower as number 13 and his friends made their way towards the market square. Perhaps the overlord was right. Maybe he was just being paranoid. After all, what has the Key of Destiny done since attaining wholeness? He seems absolutely content with dropping off the radar and letting Sora take care of all the heroics. But just as he was about to gate back to base, something caught his eye. The gigantic clock behind him froze to a halt. Taking a closer look at the town, he could clearly see this was not a malfunction in the gears of the clock tower, but time had stopped again in Twilight Town.

Convinced he should wait a few more minutes, he crouched back down at the edge. From there, he saw a dark portal open, and from it emerged…Axel? What was he doing here? Didn't he have other business to attend to? He and Roxas exchanged a few words, shook hands, and just as fast as he showed up, Axel submerged himself back into the darkness. What was this all about? "Indeed, I believe I have been observing the wrong person…" Saix said with a chuckle, and left through his own portal.  


* * *

Content that his plan was airtight, Axel made his way down the deserted alleyways of the world that never was. He balanced one of his chakram on the tip of his finger and spun it, whistling a tune as he went. At one point, he actually stopped and laughed out loud, surprised at himself for exhibiting happiness. Even with the world in danger, having his best friend back to help him save it was more than enough to put him in a good mood.

However, in his good mood, he neglected to notice the shadow that flittered between buildings, trailing him.

"I'm starting to hear her voice," Axel thought. "Must be getting close, then," he said, grinning.

"Maybe…waiting isn't good enough," Kairi said as she gazed out towards the Destiny Islands. The sun was just beginning to rise, and the melding shades of yellow and orange glinting off the ocean brought back memories of that boy from so long ago. She could feel a new determination in herself rising with it.

And gathering his composure, Axel responded, with as much compassion and grandeur as he could muster, "My thoughts exactly! If you have a dream, don't wait. Act!" and summoned a dark portal behind her. "One of life's little rules. Got it memorized?"

Kairi turned with a start to face him. "Who are you?" she asked, fear evident in her voice.

"Axel. I'm an acquaintance of Sora's." He extended his hand to her, fully expecting her to take it. "Why don't we go see him?"

Her voice raised to a squeak. "…Sora?" But before she could finish her thought, she was surrounded by a quartet of dusks. And now, in her vulnerability, Axel made his move. He conjured another portal behind her, and offered his hand to her once more. "Come on, Kairi. I think we can help each other," he said, spreading as much fake concern as he could across his words. "Hey, I feel like we're friends already."

Taking one last look back to the islands, she sighed, and took his hand. With a mixture of fear and anger, she responded "Well, you aren't acting very friendly," and followed him into the darkness.

As Axel led her through the gap between worlds, he heard a robe shuffling behind him. He casually turned around to see another cloaked figure a distance behind him – a blue tuft of hair spilling from his hood. Upon being spotted, the cloaked figure accelerated to a sprint towards them. Recognizing what this meant, he pushed Kairi into the light of Twilight Town, then followed her in. He would need Roxas's services to pull this off.

**Music cuts**

* * *

**Begin playing (Chaos of the Unconscious) by (Buckethead)**

Roxas awoke early that morning, just as the moon and the sun were completing their transition. He hated waking up early, but something wouldn't let him sleep, almost as if gaining a heart compelled him to experience all the life he had missed out on. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he searched Olette's guest room for a pencil and paper. Finding it, he scribbled a note to Olette upon it.

_"Hey Olette. Couldn't sleep this morning, went out for a jog. Don't wait up on me, I'll catch up with everyone later today._

_-Roxas"_

Careful not to make a sound, he opened the door to her bedroom and approached her sleeping figure. Her breathing was even, the rise and fall of her chest producing a certain calmness to the air. He allowed himself to watch her figure for just a moment, before gently brushing the hair out of her face and leaving the note on her nightstand. If he gave himself any more time, he may actually forget to leave.

As he jogged his usual circuit around town, he let his mind run blank and his legs carry him as they pleased. Twilight Town was completely still at dawn, save for a few chirping birds just beginning to wake in the distance. In what seemed like a few minutes, but was actually more like a full hour, he found himself back at Twilight Mansion. Taking a seat on the stone bench in the courtyard for a quick breather, he started sorting out yesterday's events in his mind. It wasn't exactly fair to Olette for Roxas to just up and leave her to take care of some Organization that she didn't even know existed, especially right after he came back to her. But could he really tell her everything that happened, and would soon happen? Would she be able to accept that he would be putting himself in immediate danger, taking on something much greater than himself?

He shook his head at that thought. Of course she would trust him; after all, she trusted him when he had her write on the back of that photo without so much as asking him what it was for. She would trust him with anything.

"I'll just have to tell her then. It's only right," he decided, getting back to his feet. As he stood, a dark portal opened before him, and Axel fell from it so fast that he nearly lost his balance. He was sweaty, and out of breath.

"Roxas, I don't have time to explain! Saix saw me with Kairi, I've dropped her off with your friends. Keep him busy!" he shouted, dashing off into the woods.

But before Roxas could stop him to ask any questions, Saix emerged from the darkness, and turned to face him. "Roxas. So good to see you again," he said, his voice null of any emotion whatsoever. "I wish we could have met again under better circumstances, but I currently have a…traitor to take care of."

He took a few steps towards the forest, but Roxas blocked his path with Oblivion. He didn't know what Axel was up to, but he wasn't about to let Saix get to him.

"Yeah? Well you have one more to deal with now. You're not touching Axel."

Saix was taken aback. "Oh?" he mused, seemingly delighted at the idea of Roxas standing up to him. "I see the Key Bearer still has much influence over you. Such a shame that you're on his side, Roxas. You could have had everything." And with a flick of his wrist, Saix summoned his claymore.

"Axel, this better be good," Roxas muttered, before charging Saix, both Keyblades poised to strike.

**Music cuts**

**

* * *

**

"So, what's Roxas up to?" Hayner asked, grinning heavily and putting unnecessary emphasis on the word 'Roxas'. Olette rolled her eyes at him. Ever since Roxas showed up, the other two boys prodded her to no end about their blossoming relationship.

"Hayner, do you WANT me to kick your other shin?" she asked, barely trying to conceal her laughter.

Hayner winced, remembering a few days back when he and Pence imitated the awkward manner in which Olette and Roxas were holding hands under a table. They had tried to lace their fingers, but because Roxas' hands were so much bigger than Olette's, she had caught two of her fingers where only one was supposed to fit, and neither wanted to move to fix it. Noticing the two of them cracking up, Olette had swiftly kicked Hayner right in the shins to get them to stop.

"And Pence, you're lucky you were out of reach then, or I'd have got you too," she said, smiling with mock enthusiasm.

"Aw c'mon Olette, don't be sore about it. It was funny! You two are slower than turtles going uphill," Pence said. They all laughed, though it was obvious that Olette was trying her best not to.

"Whatever…" she conceded. "He just got here and all. Maybe now isn't the best time for me to make a huge move on him."

"Fair enough," Hayner said, not wanting to push it too far. "Seriously now though, what's he been up to? It's Saturday, don't tell me he's still sleeping."

"Oh right, sorry. He went out for a jog this morning. Guess he wants to try and learn the lay of the town."

"Or maybe he wants to get super buff so you'll think he's hot," Pence chirped, sticking out his tongue at her. She was about to throw the nearest object at him, when seemingly from nowhere, a girl in a short pink dress fell face first on the floor between the three of them.

They simultaneously jumped with a start, and gave nervous glances to each other. After standing in stunned silence for a few moments, Olette said, with sternness in her voice "Well? Someone check on her!"

**Begin playin (Relaxing music (Instrumental piano))**

Hayner approached her and shook her shoulder. "You okay?" he asked, as she stirred to a sitting postion, trying to take in her new surroundings.

"What?..." she moaned, still groggy from being knocked out.

"You came flying out of a hole in the wall! You nearly gave us heart attacks!" Pence exclaimed, and the other two nodded in seriousness as Hayner helped her to her feet.

"You should sit for a while. That was a pretty nasty fall," he told her, leading her to the couch where Olette was sitting.

"Thanks…uh…what's your name?" she asked.

"I'm Hayner. These are my friends, Pence and Olette," he said, each waving as their respective name was called. "And you are?"

"Kairi," she answered.

"Well, you crashed in the right house, Kairi," Hayner said. "I like to think that we're the friendliest bunch here in Twilight Town." Olette and Pence high fived, pulling a few giggles from Kairi. Then she stopped suddenly, and tried to get to her feet, but lightheadedness got the better of her, and she fell back to the couch.

"Whoa now, take it easy for a bit," Hayner told her.

"Yeah, sit for a while. What's the rush?" Olette asked.

"I'm looking for someone – a dear friend of mine. We got separated years ago, but I think he may be here."

"What's his name?" Olette asked.

"Sora."

The three Twilight youth turned to face each other. "Sora? Was he the kid with the goofy hair from the other day?" Pence asked.

"Right, and the floppy yellow shoes?" Hayner added.

"That's the guy all right," Olette finished, noting the expression on Kairi's face. "Sound like the Sora you know?"

"That's the one! He promised me he'd find me again, I should have known better than to doubt it!"

Olette clasped her hands to her chest. "What a romantic story!" It reminded her a lot of her own situation with Roxas. Surely if it worked out for her, it would work out for Kairi?

"If you stick around, Sora's bound to show up!" Pence told her enthusiastically.

"Yeah, he said he's coming back," Hayner added.

"Okay!" she chirped, feeling happy again for the first time in years. The feeling would not last long.

"What took you so long, Kairi?" a voice resonated in the air. Axel emerged from a portal of darkness, flooding Kairi's mind with the recollection of being kidnapped just a few hours ago. "Somehow, I just KNEW you'd be here…" he said, calmly approaching her. "I tell ya Kairi, you've got a lot of guts, jumping right into the darkness like that." And as the spectre took her wrist, the two boys were powerless to stop him from dragging her back into the darkness. And just as quickly as she had appeared, now had she vanished.

After the three gathered their senses, Olette spoke up. "We have to do something about this. Let's split up and look for Sora, something tells me he's back. He'll know what to do. Whoever finds him should call the other two, and we'll all meet up at the train station." And with that, the three dashed out of the usual spot, leaving only the fluttering curtain to tell that they had been there.

Pence was the one to find him.

"Heeeey!" Hayner shouted at the rest of the group, Olette running by his side. They formed up in a circle to break the news to Sora.

"So, how do you guys know Kairi?" he asked, still fully unaware of the events that transpired just minutes ago. Everyone hung their head in sorrow. Together, they recapped the story to Sora. "Wow, Kairi was really here!" Even if she had been kidnapped again, the fact that she was indeed still alive fueled his ambition. There was hope after all!

"Sorry man…" Hayner groaned.

"Hey…it's not your fault. C'mon, cheer up!" But given a few seconds, the brightness faded from his expression. "Like I can even say that…"

Finally, he exclaimed, "I gotta help Kairi!" with such force that Goofy dropped the trophy Seifer gave them, and the four jeweled orbs split off, each youth catching one, and Sora saving the blue one. As he held it to the sun and watched it sparkle in the Twilight, Olette again noticed his figure change, ever so quickly, to that of Roxas. And then just like that, it was gone again.

Then, without warning, the jewel began to float in front of him, and he fired a beam of light into the sky from some foreign sword. When the light subsided, he turned to them, a new determination in his face. "A new road is open. And Kairi and Riku are waiting on it!"

"You better get going then!" Olette encouraged.

"But you better come back too," Hayner added.

"Promise," he said with a grin.

**Music Fades**

**

* * *

**

**Begin playing (Inferno) by (Buckethead)**

Both organization members were exhausted. The battle had raged for hours without claiming a victor. Suddenly, a wave of realization washed upon Saix.

"Oh, you are very clever, Key of Destiny. I didn't think you'd keep me busy this long, but I will still have the Key Bearer on OUR side!" he shouted, and disappeared in a puff of black smoke.

Roxas collapsed to his back. It's a good thing Saix decided to stop there, he didn't know how much longer he could have fought. He was still alive of course, but then all Axel wanted him to do was distract him, right?

"Good job, buddy. We pulled it off after all." Axel rested a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Sorry about that, but I had to let the Twilight kids see me kidnap Kairi in public, that way they'd tell Sora…" he trailed off, expecting to see Roxas filling in the rest.

"And then Sora would have a vendetta against you…" he added.

"And therefore a vendetta against the entire organization! Exactly!" Axel finished, that childish optimism back in his expression. "I would have just dropped her off in front of Sora and kidnapped her there in front of him directly," he went on, "But Saix caught me taking her from the Islands. I couldn't afford to be waiting on Sora to show up for that long with Saix chasing me. It's too risky. So I had to have you distract him for me."

"You really thought this through, didn't you?"

Axel scratched the back of his neck. "I do my best. But I didn't plan on getting caught so early. The rest of the Organization will be on to us now. And they'll stop at nothing to get her back. Things will be a lot harder from here on, I'm not sure it's safe for you to stay here."

"I know. But I have to explain myself to Olette first."

"Oh, you whole people and your _relationships_…Very well. We don't have to start right away." He chuckled, and disappeared into darkness.

* * *

Xemnas laughed a hearty laugh – the kind of laugh he hadn't felt in a long time.

"This was their master plan? Saix, see to it that Sora is told the truth. Tell him Axel is no longer acting in our best interests, and not to take his actions as our own. As for Roxas…I have new plans for him. I do believe we may be able to work this to our advantage."

"Of course, my liege."

**Music Cuts**

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* * *

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**Begin playing (Sea Wall) by (Buckethead)**

"Wow Roxas, I had no idea you had been through so much," she said, feeling guilty that there was nothing she could do to help him.

"Well, it could be a lot worse. I could still be floating in nothingness. You've done plenty for me, Olette. Now let me do something for you," he answered with sincere gratitude. "You brought me back here. For that, I owe it to you, maybe if not the whole world, to stop Xemnas and everything he's working towards. I had to tell you, because I didn't want you to think I just up and left without properly thanking you."

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Neither of them really knew where they would go after they said goodbye. Finally, Roxas took her hand, and said "I can't lie to you, Olette. I'm scared. I'm terrified. I may not come back here in one piece. Xemnas is ruthless, and the rest of the organization is no less powerful than he is. But you gave me this life, so I owe it to you. Even if I perish, I will always be with you in spirit."

Faced with the prospect of losing him, Olette was overcome with emotions that she had no idea she possessed. Knowing full well that this may be the last time she saw him for a very long time, she pulled him to herself and kissed him like she had never kissed anyone before. All the tears and passion built up over the years melded and exploded over them like a meteor shower. He could see the emerald green of her eyes reflected in the plant life, could feel the carefree brush of her breath in the wind that surrounded them. He held her tight, her hair falling between his fingers, her cheek soft and yielding like water. And when they finally opened their eyes, Olette was positively glowing with all the brilliance and vivacity of the moon overhead.

And Roxas never knew with more certainty that the world was worth saving as he did when Olette whispered in his ear, "Make sure you come back alive."


End file.
